Review: Gasoline Alley

 

Devon Sawa plays a tattooist suspected of a series of killings of hookers, including a sex worker Sawa happened to have met in a bar before her demise. A cigarette lighter with his business name inscribed on it is also found at the scene of that crime. There’s also the matter of Sawa being an ex-con who served time for accidental manslaughter. Seeing that he’s in deep shit, Sawa sets about investigating things himself to find out the real culprit. Bruce Willis and an aggressive Luke Wilson are the investigating detectives on the case, Sufe Bradshaw plays a singer named ‘Eleanor Rigby’, an associate of the deceased hooker Sawa met. Kenny Wormald turns up as an actor associate of Sawa’s, who owes Sawa a favour.

 

In spite of a few issues, this 2022 film from director Edward Drake isn’t bad, and for a latter-day Bruce Willis film ‘isn’t bad’ is actually pretty good comparatively. Make no mistake, it’s not a good film, but it’s competent and watchable and after a slew of subpar Willis films…this one will kinda do I guess.

 

The chief problem here isn’t the ailing Willis, but another familiar face: Luke Wilson. Playing an a-hole cop, I wanted to punch him in the face within 20 minutes. I get that the obnoxiousness is intentional, but the director really needed to rein Wilson in. It’s clear early on that he’s either the bad guy or a red herring and you figure out which fairly quick. It’s just bizarre watching the normally laidback, mild-mannered Wilson going so heavy-handed here and it’s neither to his nor the film’s advantage. Actor-dancer Kenny Wormald isn’t very good either, playing an actor and former cellmate of Sawa’s character (Wormald is cousins with one of the film’s billion producers, Corey Large). As for second-billed Willis, he’s barely in the film and even when he is, he’s still not really in it if you catch my meaning. Given his health struggles, it’s like watching an entirely different human being. He just isn’t the same screen presence anymore. It’s sad. The best turns by far are from a seriously old-looking Devon Sawa and an actress named Sufe Bradshaw as a character named Eleanor Rigby. Sawa is actually quite good in the lead role and doesn’t act down to the material one bit. Like Jean-Claude Van Damme, age has weathered his features and that somehow seems to have aided him as a performer.

 

Look, you’re probably only going to watch this film if you’re bored or a Bruce Willis completist. Scripted by Tom Sierchio (who scripted the hugely underrated “Untamed Heart” back in the 90s) and the director, it’s not good but I actually found things to engage me here. An over-the-top Luke Wilson grates throughout but otherwise this is kinda OK, as was the director’s “Apex” which also featured Willis.

 

Rating: C+

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